Digital imaging system and method in which user operation of a digital zoom selection switch to increase digital zoom of a portion of an evaluation image is interrupted for at least an interval of time as a warning to the user that the digital zoom selection has reached a digital zoom ratio that corresponds to a predetermined minimum image resolution quality level in an image of a given size to be rendered from the portion of the evaluation image. The user can then resume increasing digital zoom selection only by opening and re-closing the zoom selection switch. A graphical indicator is used to show changes in zoom settings and the appearance of the indicator is changed when one or more predetermined digital zoom settings are reached to reinforce the visual warning to the user.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A digital camera comprising a digital imaging unit for generating a full sized digital image of a scene; an evaluation image generation unit; a digital zoom generating unit, including a user operated digital zoom selector, that determines a lesser portion of the full sized digital image to be rendered by interpolation into a final reproduced image that corresponds in size to images generated from the full sized image; a graphical zoom indicator unit that generates a graphical indication in association with the evaluation image of increases and decreases of digital zoom ratios in response to user operation of the digital zoom selector; and after digital zoom has started and during digital zoom, a controller that effects increasing and decreasing digital zoom ratios in response to user operation of the digital zoom selector and that interrupts indication of increasing digital zoom ratios for at least a first interval of time when the selected zoom ratio reaches a first digital zoom ratio setting that corresponds to a minimum acceptable image resolution where degradation of image quality level for a given size of rendered image is un-noticeable, the interruption serving as a warning to the user that said minimum acceptable image resolution for un-noticeable degradation in print image quality has been reached so as to allow the user the opportunity to discontinue further increase of the selected zoom ratio; wherein said controller interrupts the indication increasing digital zoom for a second interval of time when the selected zoom ratio setting reaches a second digital zoom ratio setting, greater than said first digital zoom ratio setting, that corresponds to an unacceptable image quality level for said given size of rendered image.
2. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein said controller causes said graphical zoom ratio indicator to change its appearance as a visual warning to the user before indicating increasing of zoom ratio beyond said first digital zoom ratio setting.
3. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein said controller causes said graphical zoom ratio indicator to change its appearance as a visual warning to the user when the indicator reaches said first digital zoom ratio.
4. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein said indicator includes a fixed scale and a zoom indicator bar movable along said scale to indicate digital zoom ratio settings selected by the user, said bar having a first bar color at settings below said first digital zoom ratio; said controller responsive to user selection of increasing digital zoom ratio to move said bar toward said first digital zoom ratio and to change the bar to a second bar color when said bar is at said first digital zoom ratio setting.
5. The digital camera of claim 4 , wherein said scale has a second range representing digital zoom settings greater than said first range; and said controller, in response to continued user selection of increasing digital zoom ratios, changes said bar to a second bar color before moving said bar into said second range.
6. The digital camera of claim 4 , wherein said second bar color is red.
7. The digital camera of claim 5 , wherein said second bar color is red.
8. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein when the user continues to select increasing further zoom ratio settings beyond said second, the indicator, after said second interval of time, resumes indicating increasing zoom ratio settings beyond said second digital zoom ratio setting.
9. The digital camera of claim 8 , wherein said controller causes said graphical zoom ratio indicator to further change its appearance as a visual warning to the user before indicating increasing of zoom ratio beyond said second digital zoom ratio setting.
10. The digital camera of claim 7 , wherein said indicator includes a fixed scale having a first scale color and an indicator bar having a first bar color, said bar having first color when in a zoom ratio range below said first digital zoom ratio setting; said controller being responsive to user selection of increasing digital zoom ratio to move said bar toward said first digital zoom ratio and to change the bar to a second bar color when said bar is at and above said first digital zoom ratio setting and being responsive to user selection of increasing digital zoom ratio to further move the bar toward said second digital zoom ratio and to change the scale to a second scale color when said bar is at and above said second digital zoom ratio.
11. The digital camera of claim 10 , wherein said second bar color and said second scale color are red.
12. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein said user-operated digital zoom selector is a switch and said controller resumes increasing of zoom ratio only after said switch is opened and re-closed by the user to obtain increased digital zoom settings.
13. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein said controller is responsive to user selection of decrease in zoom ratio to continuously decrease zoom ratio without interruption whenever said first digital zoom ratio level is encountered.
14. The digital camera of claim 13 , wherein said graphical zoom indicator includes a scale and a zoom indicator bar movable along said scale to indicate zoom ratio settings and said controller causes said movable bar to change color from a second color to first color when said bar moves in a zoom decreasing direction through said first digital zoom level.
15. The digital camera of claim 7 , wherein said controller is responsive to user selection of decrease in zoom ratio to continuously decrease zoom ratio without interruption whenever said second digital zoom ratio level is encountered.
16. The digital camera of claim 15 , wherein said graphical zoom indicator includes a scale and a zoom indicator bar movable along said scale to indicate zoom ratio settings and said controller causes said scale to change color from a second color to first color when said bar moves in a zoom decreasing direction through said second digital zoom level.
17. The digital camera of claim 7 , wherein said user-operated digital zoom selector is a switch and said controller resumes increasing of zoom ratio only after said switch is opened and re-closed by the user to obtain increased digital zoom settings.
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February 3, 2005
August 11, 2009
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